Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Communication between an adult and a child is a two way
street. Responding to a child’s smile or when they are expressing
their discomfort with a cry is one of the many ways adults recognize the communication tools of a child. Studies confirm how talking to a child from the very first day
benefits them as they learn reading, writing and problem solving. Though adults
are accustomed to using verbal language to communicate, children grow first up using
body language and non-verbal communication. It is essential for adults to maintain consistency in
their verbal and non-verbal communication to avoid confusions that might end up
affecting a child.

A common way in which a child may be getting mixed
messages is when adults change their voice to talk to a child. Adults may use baby talk to
communicate with children because of tradition, cultural environments or simply
out of emotion. Understanding what messages a child is receiving from such
changes in an adult’s voice will be more apparent in the motivation behind
doing so. Most commonly adults change their voice as a means of being warm and
caring towards a child. A child will be able to read that they are being
approached in this way so long as the love and affection is not expressed in an
exaggerated or overwhelming way. Confusion arises when adults try to hide their
obviously anxious or frustrated demeanor behind an insincere smile or a cute sounding voice.

This often happens
when something is very clearly wrong and, “for the sake of the baby” adults try
to pretend everything is okay. A child who is constantly being
shielded, through
fake smiles and silly faces, from an uncomfortable situation will be confused
and not know what to do. In cases when an adult is visibly upset, tired or
angry they should, in an age appropriate manner, let a child present know. It
is a means of communicating to the child that they too have the freedom to
express any range of emotions when they feel them. It is not only happy or fun
emotions that deserve attention and validation. Genuine interactions are what build
trust between an adult and a child.

Parents are not always able to watch over their children and
may have to turn to caregivers or daycares. Choosing who will be with their
child is a matter of finding a person or institution parents feel they can truly
trust. It is imperative that parents communicate to their children, in their
words as well as demeanor, the respect, confidence and value they have for their
caregiver. This will help the child feel secure when under their watch. Dismissive
or condescending attitudes undermine any trust parents can hope their child will
have with their caregiver. This not only affects the relationship between the caregiver
and child, but it may also have an affect on how the child feels valued. Many
times parents will see their children’s discomfort from a day with a caregiver
or at a daycare for any number of reasons. In an effort to help their child
overcome it, the parents may offer a treat or some sort of reward after the
fact. If a child is communicated the message that they are being routinely
placed in an uncomfortable setting by their parents they will lose both trust
in the caregiver as well as confidence in their parents. When situations arise,
at a daycare or with a caregiver where the child may not be as willing to go,
the best approach for a parent is to address in a genuine manner what it is
that is making the child uncomfortable and then assure them that they will be
with someone they know and trust in a safe place. This sends the clear message
to the child that the parents are in control of the situation and they can be
free to enjoy the day. It is important to keep in mind that the process of
development of children is affected by separation from parents. This is why
sometimes from one day to the next a child may manifest a completely different
attitude about being separated.

Children look to their parents as
models for how they should behave(http://magdalenaspalencia.blogspot.com/2012/08/modeling-behavior-little-versions-of-us.html).
Confusion arises for children when their same behavior at two different times provokes
two completely different reactions. For example, if a parent gives a child a
toy that makes noises, they will play with it and have fun watching the child
discover and react to the different noises. After a while, more likely than
not, the parents will grow less fond of that toy much faster than the child. Perhaps
while on a phone call or after a hard days work, a child may suddenly feel the
need to show their advanced understanding of volume with the toy. They could
then be met with anger or disapproval. These moments can confuse a child who
may not understand the full context of the situation. From the child’s
perspective, what one day was so much fun for everyone, now inexplicably seems
to be causing a problem. To help them to understand the differences, it is
important to address briefly and simply how there are different times when it
is better to do different things.

Children continuously learn by
observing their parents and those around them. It is important to understand
that this takes place at all times and during all interactions, even if it is
not the intention of the adult. Keeping consistency between verbal
communication and body language by genuinely interacting with children is the
best way to communicate with a child and avoid confusion.

About Magdalena

Education has always been the leading passion in my life, teaching in all levels of education from pre-school to the university level. After earning my elementary teaching diploma, graduating with a degree in History and Geography in Buenos Aires Argentina, I taught for 5 years at the secondary school level and 5 years as a university professor. Upon moving to Mexico I worked as an advisor to the Mexican government researching methods of pre-school and elementary school that had great success in Argentina and adapting them for Mexico at the state level.